The sky above Philadelphia turned into a battlefield.
Two streaks—
one of divine golden lightning,
one of corrupted black-red energy—
spiraled around each other like shooting stars ready to collide.
BOOOOOM!!
The air cracked as Arin and Sivana slammed together mid-air.
Arin's fists were wrapped in roaring lightning.
Sivana's aura burned with demonic power fed by the Seven Sins.
Their first collision sent shockwaves across the city.
Fire hydrants burst.
Windows shattered.
Cars flipped from the pressure alone.
But Arin didn't back down.
He narrowed his eyes, calm and focused.
Speed of Mercury
Lightning surged down his spine, exploding through every muscle.
In an instant—
Arin vanished.
Sivana blinked too late.
WHOOSH—!
Arin reappeared behind him.
A fist charged with divine lightning punched Sivana straight in the ribs.
CRAAACK!!
Sivana shot downward like a meteor, smashing through the roof of a parking garage.
Dust and debris flew everywhere.
But Arin wasn't done.
He streaked downward—a golden blur—before Sivana could stand.
He landed a kick—
BOOOOOM!!
Another shockwave tore the floor apart.
---
Every TV station caught the battle.
Local news.
International television.
Social media.
Helicopters circling the sky.
The entire world was watching.
In Gotham, people in crowded bars froze mid-drink as the screen showed two people clashing above Philadelphia.
A hooded figure on a rooftop—Batman—narrowed his eyes.
In New York, citizens stopped in Times Square as the giant screens displayed Arin's lightning strikes.
Stark Tower's alarms pinged, and Tony Stark paused his work.
"Huh… we got a new player."
In Central City, Barry Allen nearly dropped his coffee.
"Whoa—whoa—whoa—WHO IS THAT?! Speed like that—?!"
In Kamar-Taj, sorcerers gathered around a scrying portal opened by Ancient one.
Wong frowned deeply.
"That lightning…
That is not natural."
All across the world—
People were witnessing the battle.
---
Sivana crawled out of the rubble, snarling.
"You insolent fool!"
The Sins burst from his eye, swirling around him like monsters made of smoke.
Wrath roared:
KILL HIM! KILL THE CHAMPION!
Arin floated above them, lightning trailing behind him like a cape.
He clenched his fists.
"You attacked innocent people."
His voice echoed like thunder.
"You shouldn't have to hurt anyone else."
Sivana screamed and launched upward.
Arin inhaled sharply.
Speed of Mercury… full power.
FLASH—!!
He became pure lightning.
In a blink he vanished—
And reappeared right in front of Sivana, fist drawn back.
KRAAAK-THOOM!!
The punch landed.
The sky erupted.
Sivana spiraled backward through a skyscraper, shattering entire floors.
Arin appeared on the other side of the building, catching Sivana mid-fall and slamming him upward with a rising uppercut of lightning.
Sparks rained across the sky like fireworks.
---
In the Vasquez House —
Everyone stared at the TV, pale and speechless.
Mary clutched her shirt near her heart.
"That's… Arin?"
Gwen whispered:
"He's fighting like a god…"
MJ nodded breathlessly.
"He is a god…"
Freddy was shaking from excitement he couldn't control.
"THIS—THIS—THIS IS THE greatest moment of my LIFE!!!"
Billy muttered, voice mixed with awe and insecurity:
" He is really amazing"
Rosa covered her mouth, trying not to cry.
"Please… please be safe…
…"
---
The camera zoomed in as Arin charged up lightning again, hovering mid-air like a god of thunder.
Across every major city—
New York, Gotham, Metropolis, Central City, London, Tokyo—
people whispered the same thing:
"Who IS he…?"
"What kind of hero is that?"
"A new Super hero…?"
"He's… amazing."
....
Sivana floated in the air, wiping the dust from his torn coat, his corrupted eye glowing fiercely.
"You're stronger than I expected," he growled.
"But can you fight the Seven against againt one ."
He raised his hand.
Wrath. Envy. Pride. Greed. Sloth. Lust. Gluttony.
All seven manifested behind him as massive shadow demons, eyes glowing with hunger.
They lunged at Arin together—
Tearing the air apart.
ROOOAAARRR—!!
Arin didn't flinch.
Lightning roared down his arms.
He met the Sins head-on.
BOOOOM!!
The explosion shook the city.
Skyscrapers rattled.
Windows shattered.
Helicopters spun from the shockwave.
Civilians watching from rooftops gasped—
But when the smoke cleared…
Arin stood there.
Unmoved.
Not a scratch on him.
The Sins stumbled back in confusion.
Wrath snarled:
IMPOSSIBLE!
Envy hissed:
WHY WON'T HIS DEFENSE BREAK?!
Sivana's grin twisted into something dark and satisfied.
"So even the Sins can't wound you. Interesting…"
His eyes narrowed.
"Let's see what happens…
if I stop aiming at you—"
He spun sharply—
"—and aim at them."
Sivana thrust his hands outward.
A massive bolt of corrupted lightning erupted—
STRAIGHT TOWARD A CROWD OF CIVILIANS.
Arin's blood ran cold.
"No—!!"
He knew the attack wasn't aimed at him—
it was aimed at innocent lives.
And Sivana knew something else:
The Champion would always choose to save others.
Arin abandoned the fight instantly.
He shot downward like a thunderbolt—
"MOVE!"
He grabbed three people, shielding them with his body.
He threw lightning to block another part of the blast—
But the attack was too wide.
Too strong and too fast.
Arin had no other choise but to take the attack with his own body.
He put himself between the blast and the dozens of civilians behind him—
And the corrupted lightning struck him head-on.
KRAAAK—-BOOOOM!!!
The impact hurled him backwards through a truck, smashing metal like paper.
He hit the ground hard, concrete cracking beneath him.
Smoke rose from his armor.
Lightning flickered weakly around him.
For the first time in this life—
Arin felt pain.
Real pain.
He coughed, blood trailing from his lip.
The civilians he protected were safe and alive but
But he was Serously injured due to attack.
And the whole city saw it.
....
In Times Square, people screamed.
"HE GOT HIT—!"
"NO—NO—NO—!!"
"GET UP, SUPER HERO!!"
In Gotham, even Batman's eyes widened.
"He protected civilians… knowingly taking the full blast."
In Metropolis, Lois Lane who was watching the news whispered:
"That super hero is interesting… he's something else."
At Stark Tower, Tony muttered:
"he got guts… and a death wish too."
In Kamar-Taj, Wong whispered:
"That he… was born for greatness."
All around the world—
People stood frozen.
Afraid.
Hopeful.
Praying.
Back at the Vasquez Home —
The moment Arin hit the ground, the entire room gasped.
Mary screamed.
"ARIN—!!"
Gwen covered her mouth, tears spilling instantly.
MJ grabbed Rosa's arm.
"HE—HE'S INJURED—!!"
Freddy actually cried.
"This… this isn't happening—!! He's Shazam—he's supposed to be—!!"
Billy swallowed hard.
"He… he protected them instead of fighting back…"
Rosa's legs went weak.
She collapsed onto her knees.
"No… no… no… Arin… please—please stand up…"
Her voice broke into sobs.
On the Battlefield
The civilians Arin saved stared at him in disbelief.
One woman cried:
"He… he saved us…"
A man shouted:
"He took the attack! He saved all of of us!"
A child look at him in admiratiom and whispered:
"… he's a hero… a real hero…"
People began to gather—
Praying.
Hoping.
Begging him to rise.
Arin pushed his hands against the ground.
His body trembled.
Blood trickled from his lip onto the concrete.
His vision blurred for a moment.
But he clenched his jaw.
His lightning flickered—
Then roared back to life.
He stood up slowly.
Painful.
Shaky.
But determined.
"I'm not… done yet."
The crowd erupted.
"HE'S STILL STANDING—!!"
"CHAMPION!!!"
"GET HIM, HERO!!"